There are tons of products out there that are claiming “self care.” The marketing for self care has really been a huge mainstream hit. It’s a great concept and there is so much available for us to try and achieve this self care and yet, for so many of us, we’re not really feeling very cared for. The problem is there’s such a contrast of information surrounding us it can get difficult to navigate.
While loving yourself may sound like an incredible concept, so many of us don’t even really know where to begin. At the heart of all these self care, healing, manifesting concepts is you, and none of them are capable of having an effect if your relationship with yourself isn’t one of good standing. Getting into a better relationship with yourself starts with the basics of “self-care.” So Let’s start with discussing the basics of “what is self care?” Self care is the daily hygiene of our minds, our emotions and our bodies. The daily maintenance to allow for your whole system to run on full battery.
To experience a better relationship with yourself, it starts with wanting to take better care of your system. So maybe a few more reasons on why we should begin the journey into being a little nicer to ourselves. Why do we need to make time for self care? Why is it important that we make special time to show ourselves we care about us? Like any system you want to give it the ingredients needed to let it run on the best capacity. Most of us are running around looking for the next fast fix to just get by. But if we slow down for a moment we can tune into what we are needing (mind, heart, body.) Then, we will need time to tend to those needs.
The tricky part with fast fixes is that other forms of self care take time; just like building any solid relationship there must be time and energy invested into the relationship. If we don’t make the time to tend to these things, the time is often made for us. It’s like putting a little sticker over the check engine light on your dashboard instead of taking the time to get it checked out with a mechanic. You’ll be making the time to tend to what your car needs, when your car breaks down.
So, before the next breakdown we need more than just a positive wallpaper on our phone screens; we need to read them, believe them. Here is your invitation to give yourself the time to be with yourself. The time to care for self. (Aka self care) We can’t practice positive affirmations or enjoy the things we are wanting if our internal system is broken or a dumpster fire (which you can read about how to deal with here); sooooo...
That brings us to; how to apply self care. Here are 8 practical ways for you to apply self care to begin the process of being a little nicer to yourself.
Self care starts here:
1. Above all else; make daily time for yourself. Give yourself 10-15 minutes each day To check in with yourself. Ask yourself what do you need? Don’t rush to do it, just sit; just be. Making this time as important as any other appointment , and watch it help change the self love game on every level. You can listen to music, find a meditation to follow or maybe it’s during your shower. Wherever you find the time to just be; we highly suggest making it daily.
*Just be as free from judgment As possible!
Mind
2. Affirmations; yes, yes they do help. The trick is to start with affirmations you fully believe in and then add in the ones that feel harder to digest. Start with something as simple as: “ I am alive” “I am just getting started.”
Another way to “Bonus level” these affirmations is to feel them. So maybe that’s by looking at yourself in the mirror while you read your affirmations. Or maybe it’s by placing your hands on your heart while you speak them. Check and see if you feel the affirmations and believe them more if you hear yourself say them out loud in the mirror with your hands on your heart. Try it, try it daily.
*Count how many days in a row you can go.
3. Inner talk; Being kinder to ourselves also means ; learning where your inner bully lives and bringing them cookies+ milk. Taking the time to learn how to speak to yourself as someone you love. Your mind is one of the places you spend the most time. It’s worth getting to know what’s happening there. It’s worth making it a beautiful, comfortable, loving place to hang out in.
Taking the time daily to give yourself an opportunity to fall in love with yourself. Rewriting how you see yourself, viewing yourself from a loving perspective instead. Mental self care gives you the opportunity to be in love with the way you see yourself. Taking time for affirmations is like planting seeds of self love, practicing them daily is like watering the seeds. Over time a new perspective will sprout and you’ll have a brand new mind garden growing.
*Take time to think of all the ways you have love for yourself!
Heart
4. Intention; While you’re taking the time to sit with yourself, and replacing the inner bully with a self-love love story( by feeding them cookies), consider your surroundings. Consider the places you're visiting, the people you’re sharing your heart with. Evaluate the things that are filling your day-to-day. Are you going to places that fill your heart? Are you filling your day with mini moments of happiness? Are you surrounding yourself with people who celebrate your weirdness? Who can see you fully? If you're not, it’s worth finding these places. (Moxxie has a whole community waiting for you) Your heart deserves to know what it’s like to experience support. Through the places you love, the activities you love and filling your days with these things. On purpose.
*What are some tiny things you can change right now with what you have?
5. Gratitude; Another beautiful way to practice being nicer to yourself is by seeking gratitude. Find all the ways your life is “great” and “full” and write them down. There’s said to be magic when a pen hits paper and there is definitely magic in feeling gratitude for all the tiny things in our lives. It’s hard to find gratitude when life is hard. This practice is worth trying no matter how heavy your situation. If you have access to fresh, clean running water to take a shower, if you can choose the temperature of the water, you have at least 5-10 things you can find to help make your heart feel full. Taking time to write, say and/or feel 5-10 gratitudes daily can really change your whole perspective. Even when things are hard, dark and heavy there is something for us to have hope on. Inside of that hope there are little pieces of gratitude. If we search and seek out gratitude, hope is sure to come! With hope anything is possible. So gratitude can help bring solutions to situations that felt hopeless. It can make something mundane feel shiny and new.
*This is a great practice to make a part of your daily self care.
Body
6. Fuel; the way we fuel our bodies is one of the most marketed ways of self care. But we’re not going to give you a “diet plan” or tell you the foods you should or shouldn’t eat. This is an invitation to feed your body as if you were feeding someone you love. To take time at least one meal a day to tune into self care in the form of food. The energy we put in, helps the energy we get out. Listen to your body! Sometimes we do need fresh produce, or more proteins. But sometimes we truly do need that piece of cake or the hearty soul food. Honor that for yourself, as an act of self love. Honor the ways you nourish your body as mini ways of loving yourself.
*Do you make your meals special for others but forget yourself? What’s that about?
7. Move; one of the other ways self care has been exploited is via the exercise community. We are in full support for getting in your daily steps and showing up for a work out to get your endorphins going. But here’s the challenge we have for you, how would you move your body if you were moving with tenderness and care? Would you be pushing harder or would it be more of a gentle stroll? Would it be a fast aggressive class or is it going to be something more restorative and restful?
There is a time and a place for everything, we encourage you to make the time for the movements that feel like love and care instead of push and motivation. Allow the way you move to inspire you, to generate joy for having a body that moves, in any way it possibly can. Another great way to tune into this type of self-care in movement is to just dance! Any and all types of dancing are encouraged. Once you know the type of movement your body needs to feel cared for, seek out the type of music to move to. Save it and return here regularly; and you can still hit your favorite classes. Just don’t forget to make time for self-care movement too.
*Make a playlist that helps you return to being kinder yourself anywhere.
8. Create; this last “how-to-self care” is one you might overlook. Being creative can sometimes be seen as “silly,” but we can promise you this is one of the most useful ways to “self care." Take time in your week, or better yet, try to make time everyday, to create. Create anything; create art, painting, drawing, writing. Try some type of crafting. Check out some different ways to digitally create. Just create anything for the sake of creating. You are a creation; built to create. You can also create space. You can create little corners of your home that help you feel your own love. You can create space to create even! A little corner of your home for you to make intentional time each day to tinker and create just for the joy of creating! Create these spaces to fill your self care cup all the way, to make time to be kind to your mind.
*The challenge will be to move through this with intention too!
These are just some of the most practical ways we have found to practice self-care but there are unlimited ways for you to practice listening, honoring and caring for the authentic parts of you. If you’ve read this far we invite you to be kinder to you. To choose yourself from love. If you’re filled with excuses of why you can’t make the time we want to leave you with this message;
You are worthy of your own love.
You are worthy of your own time.
You are worth making time to love yourself everyday.
Keep going, choose self-care, You’re worth it.
Written by: Tara Beaulieu